How To: Install Landscape Edging

You can add a decorative border to your garden or landscape easily with today's crop of DIY-friendly landscape edgers.

A tired planting bed can be refreshed with new landscape edging, available in a range of prices and a wide variety of styles, from natural stone to pavers to molded cement. An equal assortment of plastic and composite edging materials are also on the market, like the faux-stone border above.

Landscape edging can help to visually define your planting beds and keep grass and mulch in their respective places. It’s an easy DIY project, too, with minimal materials and skill required.

STEP 1: Prepare the Area

Mark out the perimeter of the area where you want your landscape edgers to go, using a garden hose—it’s flexible and easy to adjust while you’re visualizing the edge of your planting bed. Once you’re happy with the layout, trace along the edge of the hose with spray paint.

Photo: thehomedepot.com

STEP 2: Dig a Trench

Dig a trench that’s 4″ to 6″ wide and 3″to 4″ deep along your spray-painted line. Fill the bottom of the trench with a 1″ bed of sand, and pack it smooth and level.

STEP 3: Set Edgers

Place your edgers snugly next to one another in the trench. Make sure you start at the most visible end or corner of the space, so that if edgers need to be cut to fit, they are in the least noticeable place. Tap the edgers evenly into place with a hammer or wooden mallet. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for cutting your edgers if necessary. Most can be separated into smaller chunks with a small chisel.

STEP 4: Finish the Job

Fill the empty areas of the trench with soil or some other stabilization material like mulch or gravel.

Now stand back and admire your work! Installing decorative stone, cement, or paver edging around your planting beds will not only keep your grass and mulch in place, but also give your beds a stand-out, tidy look. This little bit of sweat equity rewards you with instant curb appeal!